Mercedes GP - Inauguration and 1st season

[marcush.]

Schumacher is not someone to give up that´s for sure but he had to learn the hard way in
bike racing ..that it is not that easy to transfer winning ways into a different category .
I ´m sure he would not bow out simply and he we will not go before he´s absolutely sure he will not be in contention for wins and a WDC anymore.
At this time he seems very lonely with his belief in success in the upcoming 2 years but from my gut feeling we will have to wait till next year to see if he´s calling it a day as a driver.

[strad]

"I" don't think he's going anywhere just yet.
Could be wrong...have been before
I did notice in the last race..I'd have to go look, but somebody ahead of Mike put a wheel off and threw up some dirt...
He slowed and drove around the dust,,,
That to me said a LOT.
But I think his ego and promises of a car better suited to him, will keep him involved as a driver.

[nacho]

No other driver in the past 15 years was in the same position as Schumacher with Ferrari, the situation now is completely different.

In his time at Ferrari he was the center of everything regarding the car development and back then they could do everything they wanted during the season without any homologation limitations.

Ferrari did like 90 000 km of testing a year and they could fly to Fiorano during a race weekend to do laps. During his time they had the tyre war and Ferrari was Bridgestones number 1 team.

Things are now very different, we'll see if they can bounce back next year.

[segedunum]

You do realise these guys have more than 1 driver on their books right?

I......don't follow JET. It doesn't matter what drivers are 'on their books', there are two front-line drives and drivers like Sutil who are already in Formula 1 are not turning up at the Mercedes motorhome to inquire about the reserve driver seat. Unless of course you think it's Rosberg who's under pressure.

But I guess you would put more on the word of Jordan and Legard as it has somthing negative to do with the team.....

It's not just Legard and Jordan who are sniffing something right now and Legard got his information from others, so you can't discredit it by attaching his name. Every motorsport journalist worth his salt is.

[segedunum]

Ferrari did like 90 000 km of testing a year and they could fly to Fiorano during a race weekend to do laps. During his time they had the tyre war and Ferrari was Bridgestones number 1 team.

You're right. Eddie Irvine said during an interview that what Ferrari did in the late nineties, with team orders and everything else, was the only way they could beat McLaren, and ironically, Mercedes. One rival team. Now consider that Schumacher is in the situation of competing against Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren who are all winning, and his team mate. Do the maths.

Schumacher knows the score, and he's not stupid. Even a solitary race win wouldn't justify him being there.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

The Comings and goings of management wont have much if anything to do with Schumacher. If he wants out he would have gone already. If Mercedes want him out then it they risk the teams sponsorship, which according to detractors is why they got him in the first place.

So if he goes alot of negative theories about this Mercedes venture will have been dispelled. Also and probably the more likely scenario is that he stays, sees how next years car is on Pirelli's and makes a decision.

Seeing managers walking in and out of the Mercedes motorhome can mean anything. They lost Heidfeld and need a reserve, this is for me the more likely. If Schumacher does quit, then I will have overestimated him. If Mercedes want him out, then it may be that is where the Brawn/Haug disagreements are eminating from.
Either way it would be a sad demise.

[segedunum]

They lost Heidfeld and need a reserve, this is for me the more likely.

You keep saying this.........but front-line drivers who are already in Formula 1 are most unlikely to be wanting a Mercedes reserve driver position, as prestigious as you no doubt think that is. That's why Heidfeld left.

[andrew]

Heidfeld had a choice. Drive in races or be the third driver. No matter what team he was with, the decision to take the opportunity to race is a no brainer.

[747heavy]

They lost Heidfeld and need a reserve, this is for me the more likely.

You keep saying this.........but front-line drivers who are already in Formula 1 are most unlikely to be wanting a Mercedes reserve driver position, as prestigious as you no doubt think that is. That's why Heidfeld left.

I doubt that any front line F1 driver would want to drive for them at the moment.
Why would they? It´s a risk, similar to Webber wanting to drive for Williams, and then going nowhere with that car.
They will wait until MGP wins something, and then may come knocking on there door.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

This has nothing to do with prestige.
As Andrew said, drivers want to race. And as 747 rightly says which "frontline driver" wants to go to Mercedes?
They dont care wether its a Ferrari, Benz or energy drinks firm. Hell it could even be a waste disposal, so long as it can win.

[aral]

This has nothing to do with prestige.
As Andrew said, drivers want to race. And as 747 rightly says which "frontline driver" wants to go to Mercedes?
They dont care wether its a Ferrari, Benz or energy drinks firm. Hell it could even be a waste disposal, so long as it can win.

I think that you will find that they DO care. Many drivers have confirmed that their ultimate goal is Ferrari. Alonso had said this before, even when they werent winning. And even Hamilton has said it at times. But Ferrari is the only team that commands this attraction, as drivers know that they will work continuously to providing the best car. Unfortunately Mercedes do not command this loyalty at present, as they have yet to prove themselves. And as for RBR, give them a couple of good years at the top, and they will become the target for drivers.

[Morteza]

Ferrari was NOT the hot ticket for decades..until Schumacher came in ..if you wanted to be WDC ,at least.
at this time NO topline driver would want to go to mercedes so which manager would run to the MERC motorhome?
Raikkonnens Manahement asking Renault not Mercedes is telling everything there.the cloud of suspicion is cast over mercedes technical competence at this time and as we see the driver(s) are not their true problem.

Exactly, the drivers are not sure about how good a car Mercedes will have for next year(s). The technical staff is really in question with this year's car and their poor development pace.

[Morteza]

Mercedes upbeat over 2011 car progress :
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/86846

[xpensive]

Mercedes upbeat over 2011 car progress :
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/86846

This is very interesting, most team principals usually sandbags around their new creation, saying like; "This one will be an honest piece of rubbish" or, "I seriously doubt if this ugly thing will cut it", why I'm sure RB is onto something here!

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

[...]

Im not expecting titles, but Mercedes GP will need to demonstrate competitiveness and year on year improvements. As much as I'm a fan of Mercedes, I would rather they left if they were just there to bag 4th in the constructors. And I'm glad the Stuttgart hierarchy seem to intimate as much.

But at least Brawn seems to think they are on the right track regards the 2011 car.
I just hope its not another long year....